This invention relates generally to a method and system for setting the charges for a long distance call before the call is completed.
Sometimes, when making a long distance telephone call, a caller may desire to limit the length and/or cost of the call. For example, a caller making an international long distance phone call may be on a limited budget and may not want to spend tens or even hundreds of dollars on a long distance call. These callers may desire increased control of their long distance charges on a per call basis. Of course, a caller may terminate a call at any time by hanging up the telephone. However, some callers do not feel comfortable ending a call with family and friends because they find it difficult to tactfully and politely end the call. Sometimes, a caller may become engrossed in a conversation and lose track of the time spent on a call and spend more money on the call than they wanted.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by a method and system allowing a user to dynamically pre-determine the duration and/or cost of a domestic or international long distance call is provided. For a selected outbound originating long distance call, the user is given the opportunity to determine the duration or the cost of the long distance call. In one embodiment, the customer dials *XX and the terminating phone number, where XX are predetermined digits. The originating central office recognizes the *XX code as requiring the invocation of an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) platform to allow the user to predetermine the duration and cost of the call. Instructions are provided to the user for setting the length of the call to be connected and the calculated cost of the call would be communicated to the user. Before the call is to be connected to the terminating (dialed) number, the customer may be given the option to reset the duration and cost of the call. Once the connected call approaches the pre-set duration, a brief tone or recording may be played announcing the call is about to end. The user may also be given the option to extend the call if so desired.